Fabrication and measurement of optical and spectral properties of the transparent Yb:MgAl2O4 ceramics

In this paper results concerning the fabrication of transparent (with 0.1% mol Yb3+), translucent (with 0.5% mol Yb3+) and opaque (up to 5% mol Yb3+) Yb3+: MgAl2O4 ceramics by hot pressing are presented. The alkoxotechnology of starting magnesium aluminate spinel nanopowder synthesis with homogeneous distribution of Yb ions is proposed. The structural properties of the prepared powders and ceramics were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and BET method. The optical transmittance, absorption and emission cross sections, and the upper level lifetime of the Yb3+:MgAl2O4 ceramics were measured.